Lefty Gomez vs Lefty Grove: Career Stats Comparison
Lefty Grove has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Lefty Gomez played 1930–1943 as a pitcher; Lefty Grove played 1925–1941 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
Lefty Gomez (1930–1943) and Lefty Grove (1925–1941) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Gomez finished with 189 wins and 1,468 strikeouts; Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Lefty Gomez's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Lefty Gomez's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Lefty Gomez's 1,468.
- Who had the better WHIP? Lefty Grove, with 1.28 to Lefty Gomez's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Grove, with 3,940.2 to Lefty Gomez's 2,503.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Lefty Grove, with 35 to Lefty Gomez's 28.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to Lefty Gomez's 15,583.
Lefty Gomez
Lefty Grove
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1930s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lefty Gomez | Lefty Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 189 | Leads: 300 |
| Losses not scored | 102 | 141 |
| Games | 368 | Leads: 616 |
| Games Started | 320 | Leads: 457 |
| Complete Games | 173 | Leads: 298 |
| Shutouts | 28 | Leads: 35 |
| Saves | 9 | Leads: 55 |
| Strikeouts | 1,468 | Leads: 2,266 |
| Walks not scored | 1,095 | 1,187 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,290 | 3,849 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 138 | 162 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,503.0 | Leads: 3,940.2 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 3.06 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.28 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.28 | 5.18 |
| BB/9 | 3.94 | Leads: 2.71 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Lefty Gomez 81,321 to 15,583 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,784 PIV per season to 1,113, across 17 seasons to 14. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Lefty Gomez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Lefty Grove — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lefty Grove leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Lefty Gomez owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lefty Grove. PIV agrees: Lefty Grove grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lefty Gomez and Lefty Grove careers compare
The careers of Lefty Gomez (1930–1943) and Lefty Grove (1925–1941) overlapped from 1930 to 1941, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Lefty Grove has the far longer record, 616 games against 368 across 14 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Lefty Gomez comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (5.28 to 5.18). The per-nine rows read 5.28 strikeouts and 3.94 walks for Lefty Gomez, 5.18 and 2.71 for Lefty Grove. Lefty Gomez was mainly a starter (320 starts in 368 games), and Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games). In WHIP, Lefty Grove's 1.28 beats Lefty Gomez's 1.35.
Lefty Gomez vs Lefty Grove: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Gomez or Lefty Grove?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lefty Grove leads Lefty Gomez in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Lefty Gomez's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Lefty Gomez's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Lefty Gomez's 1,468.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Lefty Grove, with 1.28 to Lefty Gomez's 1.35.